Korea 2012: Day 15 (Petite France 쁘띠프랑스 - Nami Island 남이섬 종합휴양지)

Hey there! So we're down to pretty much the second-last day spent in Korea during my holiday in 2012. We went out of Seoul once again to explore some famous filming locations (not that I actually watched any of them - but they were really beautiful sceneries). I have absolutely no regret travelling all that way just to catch those views.

The journey to Petite France 쁘띠프랑스 can be excruciatingly painful for people with motion sickness. The roads are extremely winding and thus buses have to drive slowly and sometimes jerkily (due to other bad drivers). One girl that took the shuttle bus with us actually puked due to the winding roads and her friends ran to the back of the bus complaining that it was too smelly. HOW MEAN OF THEM!  >: (

The concept of Petite France 쁘띠프랑스 encapsulates ‘flowers, stars, and the Little Prince.’ The village contains a memorial hall dedicated to Saint-Exupery, the author of the celebrated French novel, Le Petit Prince (1943) and as such it is called the Little Prince theme park. It also has a gallery displaying sculptures and paintings of le coq gaulois (the Gallic rooster), the national symbol of France; Orgel House where a 200-year-old music box plays a sweet melody; a shop that sells herbal and aromatic products; a souvenir shop; and many other locales where you can experience French culture. The village can accommodate up to 200 visitors with 34 guest rooms that hold four to ten people each.

Filming Location
My Love from the Stars 별에서 온 그대
In Episode 15, Do Min-jun kisses Cheon Song-yi by employing his supernatural powers. This romantic scene unfolds at Petite France 쁘띠프랑스 in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi-do, which has since drawn considerable attention online. 

It was also a filming location of variety program Running Man.

The entrance of Petite France 쁘띠프랑스.

Petite France (쁘띠프랑스)
1063, Hoban-ro, Cheongpyeong-myeon, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do
경기도 가평군 청평면 호반로 1063
Operating Hours: 09.00 - 18.00

Admission Fees:
Adults: 8,000 won / Group: 6,000 won
Youths: 6,000 won / Group: 5,000 won
Children: 5,000 won / Group: 4,000 won
* Group: 20 people or more

How to Get Here:
From Dong Seoul Bus Terminal or Sangbong Bus Terminal.
Take an intercity bus to Cheongpyeong (청평).
From Cheongpyeong Terminal, take a local bus bound for Goseong-ri (고성리).
* Bus Schedule: 06:30-20:00, runs 9 times a day.
OR, from the Cheongpyeong Terminal, take Gapyeong Tour Bus to Petite France.
* Bus Schedule: 08:30-17:30, runs 7 times a day

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Most people make the trip for Petite France 쁘띠프랑스 and Namiseom 남이섬 together (because they are the two attractions closest to each other and are accessible by the same shuttle bus). After walking around Petite France, we went to check out Nami Island 남이섬!

Namiseom Island 남이섬 was formed as a result of the construction of the Cheongpyeong Dam. It is a half moon shaped (462,809㎡) isle, and on it is the grave of General Nami, who led a great victory against the rebels in the 13th year of the 7th king of the Joseon Dynasty, King Sejo (reign 1455 ~ 1468). Namiseom Island is 63 km away from Seoul in the direction of Chuncheon, and is famous for its beautiful tree lined roads. The island is 30 minutes away from Chuncheon and an hour away from suburbs of Seoul. Since it is not far from Seoul, many couples and families come to visit.

The view while on the ferry to Nami Island.

Lingering Autumn

Nami Island is famous for these straight-lined trees which adds on to the romantic atmosphere.

Poor Dirty Frosty!

Everyone huddling around the fire for warmth - the ducks too!

Oh dear! Frosty looks like he's been mugged!

Mother's love~

General Nami's tomb

Goodbye Nami Island!

Taking the ferry back to the Namiseom dock.

Namiseom Island (남이섬 종합휴양지)
1024, Bukhangangbyeon-ro, Gapyeong-eup, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do
경기도 가평군 가평읍 북한강변로 1024 (출입국관리사무소)
Website: www.namisum.com (Korean, English, Chinese)

Ferry Schedule
07:30-09:00 (30min intervals)
09:00-18:00 (10-20min intervals)
18:00-21:40 (30min intervals)

Admission FeesAdults : 10,000 won
Youths, Seniors (over 70) & People with disabilities: 8,000 won (ID required)
Children (ages 3-13) : 4,000 won
Visitors arriving after 18:00 (Dec-Mar), after 19:00 (Apr-Nov): 4,000 won

※ Round-trip ferry fare & tax included.

How to Get Here:
From Gapyeong Bus Terminal or Gapyeong Station, take a taxi to Namiseom parking lot.
(Travel time: 10-15 min). Take the ferry from Namiseom Dock to Namiseom Island. (Travel time: 5-6 min)

Shuttle Bus From Seoul to Namiseom Island
* Bus Stop 1) Insa-dong (Jonggak Station, Subway Line 1, Exit 3): Next to Tapgol Park
                  2) Jamsil Station (Subway Line 2, Exit 4): In front of Lotte Mart

Shuttle Bus Schedule: Insa-dong, Jamsil Station → Namiseom Island: 09:30
                                 Namiseom Island → Insa-dong, Jamsil Station: 16:00
※ Advanced reservation required (Inquiries +82-2-753-1247)
※ More info about the shuttle bus on this page.

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We had one of our most awesome dinners on this night: I apologise though for not taking more photos and taking information of that shop down.

SPICY OCTOPUS! Oh.My.Gosh this was so amazing! Spicy yes but DAMN SHIOK (excuse my Singaporean slang here but that comes out when I eat really good food). This was way too spicy for my tastebuds - I was refilling the water tumbler continuously while no Korean got up to get more water. OMG how do they do that? Haha I almost died! 매워!

The order of spicy octopus was ordered in a set where we had this lovely mussel soup to accompany the spicy octopus! So good! No bad unfresh seafood taste, just the natural sweetness of seafood.

Can't seem to find the name of the stall or any trace of it and I do apologise for that since this food was so amazingly delicious =(

I promise I'll be more alert and conscientious about taking photos this time! =)

And we'll be down to the last post of Korea 2012 next time =)


Lots of love for all your support,

Fly Safe and Eat Happy,
V